Made with FlowPaper - Flipbook Maker
$4.95 U.S. • $5.95 Canada • PERIODICALS With openings in markets such as Danville, Virginia, Brew Crew President Connor Wilson is marching toward 100 new 7 Brews this year as the brand’s largest operator sees plenty of white space. The News and Information Source for Franchisingwww.franchisetimes.com AUGUST 2026 RANKING THE INDUSTRY’S LARGEST FRANCHISEES WHY 7 BREW’S LEADING OPERATOR PLANS TO KEEP POURING IT ONUPFRONT 8 We check out three dessert brands and report back, in FT Undercover By FT Staff 10 Restoration 1 prepares owners for seasonality, in Behind the Sales By Alyssa Huglen 11 Woof Gang adds new investor, plus more in FT Online By FT Staff 12 A franchise infusion at Hydrate IV Bar By Matthew Liedke 14 Franchisees win with lab brand combo By Andrew Tellijohn 16 Cat café pounces on franchise growth By Emilee Wentland 18 Sticky Fingers creates the right recipe By Alyssa Huglen 19 Sea Love CEO touts local connections, in The Upstart By Alyssa Huglen COVER STORY 20 Specialty beverage brand 7 Brew expects to hit 1,000 stores by the end of the year. Brew Crew Holdings is on a growth tear of its own. Already the largest 7 Brew franchisee and No. 61 on the Franchise Times Restaurant 200 with $273 million in sales, it’s working toward 100 new locations in 2026 and sees plenty of white space ahead. By Laura Michaels $4.95 U.S. • $5.95 Canada • PERIODICALS With openings in markets such as Danville, Virginia, Brew Crew President Connor Wilson is marching toward 100 new 7 Brews this year as the brand’s largest operator sees plenty of white space. The News and Information Source for Franchising www.franchisetimes.com AUGUST 2026 RANKING THE INDUSTRY’S LARGEST FRANCHISEES WHY 7 BREW’S LEADING OPERATOR PLANS TO KEEP POURING IT ON CONTENTS ON THE COVER 20: Brew Crew Holdings President Connor Wilson 12: Hydrate IV Bar Managing Partner Amy Dickerson 14: Any Lab Test Now franchisees Lloyd and Randi Beesing 19: Sea Love co-founders Stacy and Barry Miller 16: Orlando Cat Cafe AUGUST ‘26 Volume 32 Issue 7 Cover photo by Adley HaywoodAUGUST ‘26 VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 48: Strong Pilates got its start in Australia and is expanding in the United States. 61: A KFC and Pizza Hut franchisee is taking The Great Greek to South America and the Caribbean. FRANCHISE FOCUS 43 Legacy brands try new tactics to get back on track By Andrew Tellijohn FITNESS FINANCE & GROWTH 48 Australia’s Strong Pilates turns to U.S. expansion By Alyssa Huglen 50 ‘All gas, no brakes’ for OTF franchisee By Laura Michaels TOOLKIT 53 Family business transfers require advance planning By Andrew Tellijohn 55 What to avoid when exploring a sale By Emilee Wentland 58 Inflation, interest rate concerns ease By Laura Michaels INTERNATIONAL 61 Yum franchisee brings Great Greek to Guyana, Caribbean By Laura Michaels 62 Guyana set to draw franchise interest, reports Country Profile By Laura Michaels NEWS & VIEWS 65 4Ever Young inks agreement to expand in Las Vegas, in The Wire By Matthew Liedke COLUMNISTS 71 If quarterly earnings reports stop, will that mean less transparency? By Emilee Wentland 72 Here’s how a low Fund score can eventually bite back, and how to fix it By Alicia Miller 73 Personalization with AI-powered loyalty should be all about behavior By Nicholas Upton IN EVERY ISSUE 6 First Things First 59 Scoreboard 68 Executive Ladder 74 Grab Bag 26 Restaurant sales top $57 billion and big deals highlight the year for the largest franchised restaurant owners in the United States By Andrew Tellijohn Research by Matt Haskin 37 Meauxmentum leans on fundamentals to grow multi-brand portfolio By Matthew Liedke 39 Quality Brand Group doubles down on Dunkin’ growth By Matthew Liedke 41 McJunkins navigates high-cost era with Walk-On’s, Smalls Sliders By Andrew TellijohnI was taking 14-year-old granddaughter Sydney home from volleyball camp when I learned about her love for Starbucks. She wanted to hit the drive-thru, and never one to shy away from treating a grandchild to something fun (after all, isn’t that the wonderful part of being a grandparent? Saying yes?), I complied. Thirteen-plus dollars later, a green-and-pink-layered concoction was handed through the window. Wow, I thought when I passed it to Syd. That’s expensive. That was last summer, and I quickly caught up on what was, and still is, on trend for Gen Z and Gen Alpha: Drinks that go way beyond the morning cup of coffee. (And I thought my “skinny latte” was fancy.) Starbucks, once the leader in product innovation in the space, is competing in the ever-growing field of specialty coffee beverages—and an upstart is taking it by storm: 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee. “I remember the first thing I called my dad and said was, ‘I’ve never seen employees so happy at 6 in the morning,” Connor Wilson told FT Editor in Chief Laura Michaels, about going to investigate the brand for his dad, a restaurant operator, in 2021. Wilson, who also owns four Jersey Mike’s, told he is father at the time, “I’ve never seen so much energy, so much vibrance from people, especially at 6 a.m., working.” Turns out it isn’t just cool to drink 7 Brew’s coffee creations; it’s also cool to work there. Six months later, they formed Brew Crew, a 7 Brew franchisee that now owns 127 locations in 10 states. Wilson is president and graces our cover this month as part of a larger editorial feature: The Franchise Times Restaurant 200, the ranking of the largest restaurant franchisees in the nation based on sales. It’s always inter- esting to learn more about these companies in the ranking each year, because they often have lessons to share. Brew Crew landed at No. 61 on the list this year with $273 million in sales and plans to grow exponen- tially, so there’s plenty of wisdom within the article. From real estate site selection to training crew members before opening, java—and restaurant operations—has never been so interesting. And, while industry watchers have been all abuzz about 7 Brew operators, legacy brands are still very much part of the ranking, including a franchisee of another coffee concept, Dunkin’. Quality Brand Group has 182 Dunkin’ locations and reports $208 million in revenue, putting it at No. 84 on the Restaurant 200 list. Dunkin’ is “approachable for many different ages and economic groups,” CEO Ann Johnson told FT Senior Writer Matthew Liedke. “It has the value play, the family play and the catering play. We appeal to individuals getting their a.m. coffee, or their afternoon refresher while making sure it stays relevant in the media and national conversation.” Johnson and management team members have put an operational playbook in place and continually communicate that to employees, down to the store manager level. So far it has been successful, as she told Matthew employee turnover is down 45 percent. This will help, she said, as they begin to work on a nation- wide presence. You’ll want to read more about our Restaurant 200 companies and how they have poured hard work into success. Plus, there’s more to sip on in this issue, from a children’s cooking school and a cat café, to a new Pilates entrant and a franchise brand CEO who craves Nutella. Sit back, relax and read the entire issue with your own beverage in hand, even if that’s just a good ol’ cup of joe. We can all learn from the largest restaurant owners FIRST THINGS FIRST Publisher Reach Mary Jo at 612-767-3208 or mlarson @ franchisetimes.com Volume 32, Issue 7 Publisher/Vice President: Mary Jo Larson mlarson@franchisetimes.com Associate Publisher Lucas Wagner lwagner@franchisetimes.com Editor in Chief: Laura Michaels lmichaels@franchisetimes.com Managing Editor: Emilee Wentland ewentland@franchisetimes.com Senior Finance Reporter: Andy Tellijohn andyt@franchisetimes.com Senior Writer: Matthew Liedke mliedke@franchisetimes.com Reporter: Alyssa Huglen ahuglen@franchisetimes.com Senior Graphic Designer: Joe Veen ads@franchisetimes.com National Sales Director: Kevin Pietsch kpietsch@franchisetimes.com Sales Support: Jenny Raines jraines@franchisetimes.com Digital Marketing/Web Development: Adam Griepentrog adamg@franchisetimes.com Emma Barry ebarry@franchisetimes.com Allison Olson aolson@franchisetimes.com Conference Services: Gayle Strawn Rachel Tegethoff Alie Leonard Production Staff: Steve Hamburger, Manager Steve Schmidt Accounting: Matt Haskin, Controller Kelly Krogstad Franchise Times Corp. Continental Franchise Review® John Hamburger, President To contact Franchise Times: Franchise Times Corp. 2808 Anthony Lane South Minneapolis, MN 55418 www.franchisetimes.com Phone: (612) 767-3200 Fax: (612) 767-3230 Advertising/Classifieds: Call (612) 767-3200 Subscriptions: Subscription rate is $35 per year, $59 for two years. To order, change address or other customer service, call (612) 767-3200. Franchise Times reserves the right to decline subscription/back issue requests. Reprints and back issues: To order, call (612) 767- 3202. Back issues are $9.95 plus shipping. Reproductions of any kind are not authorized. It is a violation of copyright law to reproduce all or part of this publication or its contents. Franchise Times (ISSN 1530-3748) is published 10 times per year (monthly except for combined issues June/ July and November/December) by Franchise Times Corp., 2808 Anthony Lane South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55418. Periodicals Postage Paid at St. Paul, Minnesota and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Franchise Times, 2808 Anthony Lane South, Minneapolis, MN 55418 Entire contents copyright ©2026. Publications mail agreement No. 40064408. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Express Messenger International, P.O. Box 25058, London BRC, Ontario, Canada N6C 6A8.Building a franchise takes balance. CLA has a deep understanding of industry issues facing the competitive world of franchising. Franchisor or franchisee, start-up or multi-unit and anything in between, our team will be there so you can bring your vision to life. Get started now at CLAconnect.com/eat. ©2023 CliftonLarsonAllen LLP. CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP) is an independent network member of CLA Global. See CLAglobal.com/disclaimer. Investment advisory services are off ered through CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. 8 Franchise Times | August 2026 BRAND INTELLIGENCE We check out three dessert brands and report back W hen it comes to frozen custard, calories don’t matter. That mindset is a must for anyone visiting Andy’s Frozen Custard (A), especially when the Gooey Butter Cake Concrete is in the limited-time offer rotation. A late afternoon visit to a loca- tion near Chicago’s Midway Airport meant no line at the drive-thru, and enticing promo- tional signage made the ordering decision easy. Crumbly cake crust with a rich cream cheese filling is mixed with the brand’s signature vanilla custard—which Andy’s touts is made fresh every hour—and topped with salted cara- mel drizzle to create a frozen treat so satisfying that the $8 price tag is quickly excused. The brand clearly doesn’t take shortcuts when it comes to ingredient quality. Stormy weather meant this concrete delight had to be enjoyed in the car, but this store and most Andy’s loca- tions have walk-up windows and patios perfect for summer indulgences. The brand, which got its start 35 years ago in Missouri and started franchising in 2004, has 192 locations across 15 states. The upshot: The treats at Andy’s make it easy to give in—and to ignore the menu prices. Thankfully, the premium product helps put the value equation back in order. —L.M. I t’s not just peach-centric desserts on the menu at The Peach Cobbler Factory (B). While the namesake peach cobbler was a delec- table treat, it was hard to pick between the OG, all the other flavors of cobbler, banana pud- ding and cheesecake in a cup. This downtown Atlanta store had the option for a build-your- own, four-item flight for $28 to accommodate larger parties or those paralyzed by decision- making. My to-go order came with a sizable portion of warm peach cobbler and a side of ice cream for $9—a fair price for the ample portion size. Other options that catch the eye were a caramel apple cobbler, the Butterfinger banana pudding and the cinnamon peach pra- line cheesecake. The treat franchise has more than 110 locations with more in the works. (This includes entries into new states, such as New Jersey, Rhode Island and Minnesota, the latter of which is exciting for this Minneapolis- based reporter.) Growth has been significant for the Nashville, Tennessee-based brand, which had 15 locations in 2022. Development slowed down, though, after Peach Cobbler Factory hit the 100-unit mark in 2024. The upshot: The peach cobbler is delectable, so next time I’ll need to splurge on a flight to try more flavors. —E.W. F or a first-time creampuff experience, hitting Beard Papa’s (C), the Japanese chain in 14 countries, at Minnesota’s Mall of America is worth the trek. But be ready to hunt. Even with some prep, the tiny hallway-sized outlet is easy to miss. Also be ready to pay up. A couple special six-pack offers were priced at $25.95 and $28.95—oof. But duty called. I ordered three: the chocolate éclair with chocolate filling; the Lacrimosa: Crimson Noir Puff, a limited-edition Belgian chocolate shell with raspberry crumble and vanilla bean cream filling; and, just to get out of the comfort zone, a green tea éclair with matcha latte filling. Creampuffs are wrapped and put in to-go containers because there’s no seating, which makes for a messy walk-and-eat situation. Starting with the green tea, in one bite the pastry crumbled, leaking filling all over my hand, my phone, the counter and my chin. But thankfully, it was delicious, with a unique and refreshing flavor. The others also earned top taste points. Beard Papa’s, with more than 500 global stores, lists 34 U.S. locations. The upshot: The price makes it hard to become a regular, but for a special treat, it’s worth the cost. With several kinds of shells and fillings, there’s something for everyone. —A.T. Ever wonder how consumers feel about your franchise? Editorial staffers Laura Michaels, Andy Tellijohn, Matthew Liedke, Alyssa Huglen and Emilee Wentland check out three brands in a different genre each issue, and report back. Franchise OWN THE AMERICA CRAVES $2,606,743* Average Unit Volume World-Class Culture & Support Simple Operations Premium Ingredients & Standards *This information reflects the Average Annual Gross Receipts of the top 25% of company- operated and franchised Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers restaurants that were in operation for the entire 2025 fiscal year. Of the 512 restaurants that were in operation for the entire 2025 fiscal year, 128 were included in the top 25% set and 42% obtained or surpassed the average gross receipts results. Please see Item 19 of our April 30, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document for more information. This advertisement is not an offer to sell a franchise. An offer can be made only through the delivery of a Franchise Disclosure Document that has been registered and approved by the appropriate agency in your state, if your state requires such registration.Next >